This blog started off by focussing on NZ's smaller 3rd level airlines, past and present. It has evolved to trying to present some record of NZ's domestic airline operations and some of the larger charter operators, interesting NZ international airliner movements and photos I have taken around the country. Comments, corrections or contributions are welcome, Steve - westland831@gmail.com

28 April 2018

Golden Bay Update

In the aftermath of ex-Cyclone Gita, Golden Bay Air had its busiest time ever as it ferried hundreds of tourists and locals to and from Nelson. It transported urgent items such as blood samples, medical supplies and test samples for Fonterra. Then, for more than four weeks, Golden Bay Air's fleet has sat on the tarmac due to recertification issues. While acknowledging the situation is less than ideal, CEO Richard Molloy says there are silver linings in the clouds. But first: why are Golden Bay Air planes not flying? The parked planes are due to Golden Bay Air missing the renewal of its five-yearly Air Operator Certificate, required by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for all air operators in New Zealand. "The certificate looks at everything you do, your staffing, your procedures and your operation," Richard says. 'There are no safety concerns with our aircraft,' he says. "The aircraft are 100 per cent airworthy and maintained. I don't think you'll find more pampered light aircraft in the country. We have every last check completed, that's for sure." Richard and his staff were preparing the recertification in February when ex-Cyclone Gita closed the Takaka Hill. "We were giving our attention to the 100 people in the queue waiting to get out of Golden Bay,” he says, and they couldn't give the recertification their full attention. It is quite a process and the requirements have become more stringent than they have been in the past." Golden Bay Air met the initial deadline, he says, but CAA required more work in some aspects. "CAA specifies for an aircraft operator to have several senior person roles,” Richard says. “As part of the recertification, we have had to outsource some of those roles - not easy in a rural area-and have resubmitted to CAA for recertification. We thought it would not delay us by more than a couple of weeks, but it's been more than four weeks." As The GB Weekly went to print, Richard was expecting an update from CAA. The silver lining, he says, has been the people coming onboard Golden Bay Air in senior roles. "We have expanded the number of people involved. We'll be in a good position to move forward and possibly with what we offer people in the future." Meanwhile, sit back and relax, because Golden Bay Air is running its regular services by chartering other aircraft operators, such as Pelorus Air - a costly exercise but necessary to maintain goodwill. "We are doing our darnedest to get people where they need to be. We've got scheduled services to Wellington and the more people that book on those, the better for our purpose." Richard established Capital Air in Wellington in 2006 and moved here as Golden Bay Air in 2008.